CANADA’S SCORPIO label catalogue including Jay W McGee should by now have been picked up for Britain by Ensign Records . . . American jazz label Inner City has reportedly gone bust, Bob Jones (Chelmsford) suggesting that someone with the cash could buy up their entire back catalogue as there’s always a market for it amongst jazz punters here . . . Real Thing have signed with EMI, their Nigel Martinez-produced ‘Seen To Smile‘ being due now . . . Sweet Pea Atkinson’s ‘Dance Or Die’, reviewed last week on import will here be flip to ‘Don’t Walk Away‘, a gruff tumblingly dragging 102bpm jiggly jogger (Ze 12WIP 6808) . . . Jimmy Cliff’s debut album for CBS (CBS 85878), the very listenable ‘Special’, includes a “special offer” for all purchasers to then send off for a free 12in copy of his included new single, the gently reggae 79½bpm ‘Roots Radical‘ (much played on radio) . . . MCA appear to have reactivated their DJ mailings, under Paul Bunting . . . John Sachs’ Backstage club didn’t last long, the Mayfair premises in Green Street now reverting to the Greenstreet name under the new ownership of lovely model Beverley Knock, reopening this Friday — although Beverley emphasises that it isn’t a disco as such, the dancefloor being too small! . . . Greenford’s Barbarellas is looking for an established soul-funk DJ to do Fridays and Saturdays, no time-wasters . . . Chris Kaye, funking a busy round of regular gigs in West Kent, would like to be offered one-off guest spots in superior venues in the North or Scotland — anywhere but the South-East, for a change, sez he! — so managers/promoters, call Chris on 0892-45023 . . . Howard Johnson ‘So Fine’ now tops the US Dance Disco chart, Jennifer Holliday is still top US Black single and climbing Pop . . . Hi Voltage ‘Let’s Get Horny‘ makes a surprisingly late and unexpected chart debut here, considering the mixer-orientated 124½bpm fierce-ish track first appeared at the start of May . . . Bobby “O” is selling really well as a result of my mix with it on the first Soul On Sound, according to Rayners Lane’s Record & Disco Centre — incidentally, one problem with listening to “fierce” electro-funk at Rayners Lane is you can never be sure if what you’re hearing is on the record or off their ever-busy video games! . . . Peterborough’s Discoasis shop in Cross Street sells import LPs at £6.49, 12in £3.99, DJs getting a special discount . . . George Andrew (Salford Mister Shifters mobile) thanks Stockport’s Grove Records (in London Road, Hazel Grove) for their support at the otherwise largely unsponsored recent Bramhall Festival . . . Adrian, of Bournemouth’s gay orientated Adams bar/disco, recommends Carnival Records in Ashley Road, Bournemouth, for extremely cheap disco 12in prices . . . I’m surprised such a straight MoR record as the Boys Town Gang is getting so much evident “soul” disco play . . . Mark Clark (Bracknell) hopes record companies wouldn’t pounce on any DJs who happen to sell old promos at “car boot” sales in aid of the South Atlantic Fund — probably not, Mark, as long as all future rights to their mailouts aren’t included in the sale! . . . Neil Fincham & Colin Cordrey (Edinburgh Mad Hatters Speakeasy), recently pictured with Junior, claim to be the longest DJ team in the country — total height 12′ 8½” if laid end to end in bare feet (which wouldn’t surprise me) — and challenge all comers . . . I can’t compete, being partnered by Graham Gold, despite my 6’ 8” . . . Watford’s Ponderosa is all very well, but the trouble with unlimited um-yum is it’s too darned fattening! . . . OK, Roger Dynamite, you work at Tiffanys in Gt Yarmouth (we’re not mind readers you know) . . . Sandy Martin reckons after the introduction at Swindon Brunel Rooms of Angus the Angry Bull that women make the best bucking riders thanks to their thigh power — cor, slobbers Sandy, there were some on Angus that could turn an “all nighter” into a “weekender”! . . . thank you Sandy, we get your drift, now tell it to Spare Rib . . . ‘The Day The Music Died’, now published here, is a novelisation (and gripping read) of the development of black music within rock ‘n’ roll from ’56 to ’63, written by Joseph C Smith who under the name Sonny Knight scored the original hit with ‘Confidential’ in 1956, well worth finding and full of thinly disguised characters from the music business — if you’re into your history, read it . . . Cliff Dawson; with a soul listening set on US Boardwalk currently being imported, is from New York but used to be in our own Chosen Few . . . Mezzoforte, the Icelandic jazz-funkers, have rivals in the form of a Nottingham white boys group recording under the same name . . . Capital’s Phil Allen, whose Sunday morning 1.45am London funk chart I never miss hearing, mentioned “a heavy dew” and Peter Young in the same breath — brilliant! . . . Larry Foster, well busy at such East London venues as Reflections, Lamps, The Villa and the Albion pub, left between gigs for a brief holiday in the Lake District to return to London for the following weekend, only to drive back to the Lakes on Monday and repeat it again the next weekend — this doesn’t beat me however: years ago at midsummer I did four consecutive mobile gigs all in different areas, then drove hell for leather to the very North-West of Scotland just to see the midnight dusk, saw it, dug it (though it rained!), and then turned right round again to head back for two more gigs in the South just three days after the last one . . . Tom Wilson (Edinburgh Oscars) says also about his holiday at Salou in Spain that the jock in a club called Shalako mixed the Police ‘Roxanne’ over the break in Soft Cell ‘Tainted Love’ to great effect . . . Mad Marx at Clacton Butlins in his redcoat role had to extemporize when the bingo machine broke down in front of 200 old age pensioners, so he rapidly turned to the record decks and proceeded to rap over ‘You’re The One For Me’ — which was such a hit with the OAPs he now raps every night! . . . (Mad Marx now wonders, who the hell told him that?) . . . Nick Ratcliffe (Winkfield) and others should note that our two Disco and Nightclub Charts are compiled quite simply like this: DJs returns which only and obviously relate to soul/funk/jazz/black material are used for Disco, while any charts which include more than the odd few non-black pop-type titles go towards Nightclub, the orientation of the venues being easy to spot by these means (and neither being considered superior to the other) . . . that said, and although I know how dancers these days seem depressingly keen on oldies, is there any chance we could get some DJ contributors for our Nightclub chart who play something more recent than last month’s hits? . . . DO IT DO IT . . . HEY . . . DO IT DO IT!

DUNN & BRUCE STREET, whose ‘Shout For Joy‘ is chuckling up the chart on Satril, turn out to be two Philly Sound veterans with an interesting past. Dunn Pearson Jr has racked up extensive arranger credits especially with the O’Jays, as well as Wild Cherry, M’Lady, Patrice ‘Choc-let’ Banks, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Stephanie Mills and the Detroit Spinners, while his partner Bruce Gray with a similar background co-wrote the theme for US TV’s ‘Soul Train’ show and arranged the Trammps ‘Disco Inferno’. Continuing the Philly link, their hit in the States is on former O’Jay Bobby Massey’s Devaki label.

BRIAN “BAZZER” MASON, cueing up records at his Friday residency in South Harrow’s Bobby Magee’s, is kept busy also at Watford’s New Penny on Saturday’s (have you eaten at the Ponderosa yet?) and at Southgate’s Pink Elephant (the old Royalty) on Mon/Tues/Wednesdays. Thursday’s he sleeps!

CROWN HEIGHTS AFFAIR, after their past brilliances, have really disappointed with the UK release of their latest 12in, ‘Somebody Tell Me What To Do‘ (De-Lite DEX 8), a competent enough but scarcely exceptional pedestrian lurching 112bpm chanter flipped by the sweet soul slow 0-37/74-38/76bpm ‘Heart Upside Down’ both from an imminent new LP of which we must hope for better. At least they’re in commendably soulful voice, but all trace of dazzle and flash is sadly lacking.

UK NEWIES

GRAND MASTER FLASH & THE FURIOUS FIVE: ‘The Message’ (Sugarhill SHL 117).
Truly an overnight sensation, this reality rooted 100bpm 12in message is rapped in a mixture of conversational and beat binding voices with a sound-effect ‘Living For The City’-like street bust as climax of the mesmerizing simple repetitive rhythm riff. Dig the message — “its like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under” —and look out for (I’m told) “kissing” instead of “pissing” on UK pressings!

EVELYN KING: ‘Get Loose’ LP (RCA RCALP 3093).
From the production team who bring you Howard Johnson and Melba Moore (joke!), this beautifully packaged set is out here ahead of the States and is full of immediately familiar stuff at a tempo you know and love. Best possibly are the steadily smacking 114-115bpm ‘I Can’t Stand It’, sinuously weaving 115bpm ‘Back To Love‘ and 114bpm title track, plus there’s the 113½bpm ‘Stop That‘, 117bpm ‘Get Up Off Your Love‘, 108bpm ‘Betcha She Don’t Love You‘.

SUGARHILL GANG: ‘The Lover In You’ (Sugarhill SHL 116).
Pete Wingfield’s much brighter more obvious 108bpm original mix of his half sung/half rapped lovely rolling jogger is now the A-side here, on 3-track 12in with a 107bpm instrumental and Sylvia Robinson’s 105bpm US 12in mix — the latter to my mind still being a better more subtle sound for disco use and on a par with ‘Inside Out’ in feel (even if it does lack the “tingle” Prophet synth echoing craves, the gloss, and other little bits that Pete’s side features!).

JENNIFER HOLLIDAY: ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ (Geffen GEF A2644).
Edited yet further for 7in, the fat girls showstopping US soul smash from ‘Dreamgirls’ is a stunningly overwrought 0-30/60bpm spine tingler, the ’80s equivalent of ‘Stay With Me Baby’ but even more soulful. It’ll be a hit in the end, so why not help it get there sooner?

SHARON BROWN: ‘Love Don’t Hurt People’ (Virgin VS 535-12).
Stupid title apart, this fiercely starting amalgamation of the Evelyn King/“D” Train/Sharon Redd /Bobby “O” sounds into a 121(intro)-119-120-121bpm 12in jitterer and an ‘unexpected’ instrumental 119-120-121bpm flip lacks a life of its own and is a disappointingly less distinctive song than her debut.

STANLEY CLARKE: ‘Let Me Know You’ (Epic EPC 89846).
Abbreviated last week, the other cuts include a sizzling short 120bpm fragment of phasing rhythm called ‘Play The Bass’ and the smoothly galloping 130bpm ‘Secret To My Heart‘, while there is already an edited 7in of the Carlos Santana accompanied (but not so danceable) 126bpm ‘Straight To The Top‘, flipped by the far stronger 121bpm ‘The Force Of Love‘ (EPC A2697).

INDEX: ‘The Love You’ve Been Fakin’ (Excaliber EXCL 521).
Jittery shuffling 109bpm 12in jogger aims for an American-type veneer of soul sophistication but is let down by its merely Britfunk male vocals, the piano dabbled instrumental flip being quietly pleasant and more interesting.

PIECES OF A DREAM: ‘Mt. Airy Groove’ (LP ‘We Are One’ Elektra K 52404).
The whole jazzy set actually has grow-on-you listening appeal, while this jaunty simple little 107bpm instrumental smacker with stylus wiggling intro and chiming ditty over clap beats has become a vital mixer for several jocks.

THE COLD HAND BAND: ‘Tropicana’ (BK PPC 109).
Immediately familiar terrifically happy 124-121-120bpm 7in instrumental with brass similar to Modern Romance’s first salsa hit, perfect MoR and party time material.

WONDER DOG: ‘Ruff Mix’ (Flip 1, via CBS).
Also on 115½bpm 12in promo but commercially only a 7in, this woofing instrumental is great silly fun if not too terribly “disco” — but the short barking intro can be cut into the middle of a fierce break to good effect!

NORWOOD B: ‘You’re On The One (You’re On The Money)’ (Philly World Records PWSL 102).
Jerkily rattling, rumbling and tapping 117(intro)-116-115-117bpm 12in rolling jolter gruffly souled over chanting chix (who are alone on the longer flip), out a while but only just sent to me and still worth hearing.

ZINC: ‘Street Level’ (Jive JIVE T15).
Kashif-penned/Petrus & Malvasi-produced but in fact very dull moody monotonous 106bpm jitterer on 3-track 12in with even less remarkable couplings, although there are a couple of killers waiting on the unreleased LP.

IMPORTS

MIKE & BRENDA SUTTON: ‘Don’t Let Go Of Me (Grip My Hips And Move Me)’ (US SAM S-12351).
Fiercer than this they do not come! Starting with a long tunefully bounding instrumental lead-in, the Shep Pettibone mixed energetic 119-118bpm 12in smacker builds through nice vocals to a dynamite freaky electronically treated climax, which makes great sensual play of the song’s subtitle, the 2-track flip having a 119bpm instrumental and — mixers note — acappella version.

MELBA MOORE: ‘Love’s Comin’ At Ya’ (US EMI America 7803-1).
From the people who bring you Evelyn King (and, boy, does it show!), this carefully controlled 114bpm 12in judder and thump filled cool slinky smacker has all the predictable production tricks you’d expect and mixes beautifully with the likes of Howard Johhnson, Wanda Walden and Evelyn herself (instrumental flip), although it’s unlikely to win any prizes for originality.

LIBRA: ‘Ride This Pony’ (US HCRC 4W9-03041).
Chick squealed and sung exciting vigour filled violent fast angular 131bpm 12in smacker — yeah, you “whip” it as you ride it! — in which the ‘Super Freak’ root of all these things is even acknowledged by a reference to Rick James, the equally good instrumental flip having added electronics.

TOMORROW’S EDITION: ‘A Song For Everyone’ LP (US Atlantic RFC 30009-1).
At first skimpy hearing the very soulfully sung set (which includes a short ‘U Turn Me On’) may seem disappointing but persevere, the title track being a pleasant 106bpm swaying roller with nice lyrics, ‘In The Grooves‘ a dramatically started jerky 117-119bpm smacker with electronic effects, ‘Part Time Love‘ a creamy 114½bpm clomper, ‘Believe In Yourself‘ a less danceable 116-117bpm chugger, while Lou Reed’s ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ gets an interesting vintage vocal group-style 116-117bpm revamp, more for soul fans than boppers maybe.

ISLEY BROTHERS: ‘The Real Deal’ LP (US T Neck FZ36047).
Extremely typical rather monotonous predictable Isleys set, the similar smacking funk tempos of such as the 126-127bpm title track US soul hit, 125(intro)-127-128-129-125bpm ‘Are You With Me‘ and 131-132-133-134bpm ‘Stone Cold Lover‘ having possible “whip” appeal, while on the 123-124bpm ‘It’s Alright With Me‘ they go for a Hall & Oates sound.

“D” TRAIN: ‘Keep On (Dub Mix)’ (US Prelude PRLD 634).
Out a while but worth clarifying, the A-side is the same 116½bpm 12in version as in Britain, but mixers will want this acappella “sky’s the limit” started flip even if this ultra-useable bit is only 33 seconds long, the rest being very laid back and odd.

MARZ: ‘Seriously’ (US Liberty SP-222).
Their last ‘Hooked On That Lovin’ Thing‘ single deserved more attention but this murkily churning 110-111bpm 12in chugging bumper really is rather dull, seriously.

James’s use of the word “fierce” to denote a certain type of tough electronic sound really takes off this week – he uses it six times – and for many months to come, it was a word that I particularly looked out for in his reviews. Searching back over previous columns, it was clearly originated by the “Fierce Reprise” of Peech Boys “Don’t Make Me Wait”, followed by the “Fierce Instrumental” of David McPherson’s “You Can’t Stop”. James has used it in three reviews before this week, starting with Bobby O “Still Hott 4 U”, and there are many, many more to come.

The other term which is gaining traction – and for me, it’s a signature phrase of his – is “chix cooed”. This was first used to describe The Rah Band’s “Winter Love” (Feb 20), and it made its fifth appearance last week with one of the definitive “chix cooed” classics: Raw Silk’s “Do It To The Music”.

These are both great examples of James’s shorthand reviewing style – we knew exactly what he meant when he used terms like these, and so he was able to cram the maximum amount of description into the minimum number of words.

And he was quick off the mark and very perceptive when it came to acapellas and other potential samples.

This week he mentions the very short “sky’s the limit” acapella frim D Train ‘s ‘Keep on’ which became very well known in about 1991 as the intro to Shades of Rhythm’s big rave and pop hit ’Extacy’ ( yes that’s how they spelt it for some reason).

And also the “street bust” conclusion of ‘The Message’ that was sped up and featured in Newcleus “Jam on Revenge” the legendary electro tune from 1983.